


The Perfect Gift

by Vorcha_Girl



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-09 23:46:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5560528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vorcha_Girl/pseuds/Vorcha_Girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Christmas time in the Shepard household and Miranda is meeting her future mother in law for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perfect Gift

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect_

**A/N – This was written for Tyler as part of the Mass Effect Fanfiction Group SR2's secret santa exchange. I hope he enjoys it!**

* * *

 

Miranda chewed on her lower lip while as she finished wrapping the crystal vase she'd bought for Shepard's mother. She'd been nervous enough about meeting the woman as it was, but when he'd casually asked her to 'pick something up' as a gift for Hannah Shepard, she'd almost had a heart attack. The woman's reputation was _fearsome_ and her own genetic perfection hadn't included the ability to pick out the perfect Christmas gift for a future mother-in-law.

She'd run through all the usual options; flowers, chocolate and body products, but the woman was a tough-as-nails admiral and Miranda couldn't imagine her life on a warship allowed her much time for scoffing chocolates or soaking in a bathtub. So she'd gone further afield and had found a shop that specialised in laser-cutting crystal ware. The vase she'd found was beautiful in its own right, faceted and polished, and she'd used the one bit of knowledge she did have about Hannah Shepard – that she was very proud of her only child – and had had it engraved with an etching of the Normandy.

She just hoped Rear-Admiral Shepard liked it.

The gold foil paper folded into place and she tuck it down, neatly tying a white velvet ribbon around the box and standing back to appreciate her work. The present looked tasteful, elegant and perfect – just like the rest of the house. Her theme of gold and white had extended to the tree, the table decorations and throughout her house, and she'd managed to make their spacious Citadel apartment look beautiful and seasonal.

There was a sound at the door and she turned to find John watching her, an amused smile curling across his face.

"You know," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous in my life. I've seen you face down banshees, Cerberus assassins and Atlas mechs without breaking a sweat, but the thought of meeting my mother has you almost trembling." He raised an eyebrow in amusement and Miranda swatted him on the arm as she moved in for a hug.

"It's Rear-Admiral _Hannah Shepard_ , John! She's as much a war hero as you! And if that wasn't enough, she's your _mother_! I want to make a good impression!" Miranda nestled close to the solid warmth of his chest as John wrapped his arms around her, giving her a quick squeeze. "What if she just sees me as some Cerberus strumpet who's seduced her son?"

He laughed. "A Cerberus strumpet? Not likely. Besides," John gave her a peck on the cheek and stepped back. "My mother loves Christmas. She's very, uh," he hesitated and cleared his throat. "Spirited."

"Wait. What does that mean?" Miranda narrowed her eyes as John shuffled on the spot.

_He was hiding something!_

He shrugged nonchalantly and flashed her a smile that was far too relaxed her liking. "Oh, you'll see."

Miranda quickly moved to block his path and put a hand to his chest, ignoring the small fuzzy feeling in her tummy as her palm came into contact with the firm wall of muscle. "I think you need to explain yourself a little better than that!"

Shepard grinned. "My mother loves Christmas, that's all. She really gets into the holiday season."

"What does that mean?" Miranda stepped back and frowned. "John, what aren't you telling me?"

He raised an eyebrow as a chime sounded from their front door and with a diabolical chuckle he danced out of the room. "It doesn't mean anything except that this year I don't have to suffer alone!"

_Suffer alone?_ Miranda snatched up the present and followed after him, wondering what on Earth he was going on about.

She reached the bottom of the stairs just as John opened the door and Rear-Admiral Hannah Shepard, a woman who's dour-faced portrait she'd seen many times in the last few days, burst through the opening on a wave of red, green and silver. Her eyes sparkled as she grinned broadly and swept her son into a hug, then turned and greeted Miranda in the same way.

"It's so good to see you, Johnny! And to finally meet you, Miranda!" Hannah gushed warmly as she pulled back, the tinsel-decorated Santa hat on her head reflecting the light.

Miranda smiled weakly, lost for words as she took in the bright lime-green and candy-red ugly sweater that John's mother was wearing. It looked hand knitted and featured a Christmas tree surrounded by bedazzled presents. It was undeniably tacky and exactly the kind of thing which Miranda wouldn't be caught dead in. She looked away, focusing instead on the large flashing Santa Clause badge attached to the jumper and the basket overflowing with brightly coloured gifts that Hannah carried.

Finally, she found her voice. "It's lovely to meet you, Ms Shepard."

The older lady almost roared with laughter as she set her basket of goodies down and closed the door behind her. "Ms Shepard? Oh dear, please just call me Hannah."

Johan grinned at Miranda, clearly enjoying seeing his fiancé speechless. "Mother is very casual," he told her helpfully.

"Oh." Miranda couldn't think of what else to say.

"Yes," Hannah chimed in. " _Ms Shepard_ makes me feel so old! Hannah will do fine. Now," she began to rifle through her basket and dug out two crumpled looking presents which she held out to them. "Before we do anything else, I want to give you these presents! You know the rules, John! Every Shepard gets one!"

Miranda glanced down at the carefully wrapped present she was still holding and exchanged gifts with the Rear-Admiral, managing a small smile as they fumbled and almost dropped both of the gifts. She felt a little light headed, as though she'd stumbled into a dream; she'd built up Hannah Shepard in her head as this stern authoritive figure and instead she was bubbly, friendly and utterly … _naff_.

John happily took his present and without any hesitation he ripped the wrapping paper off.

"Mother, you shouldn't have!" he caught Miranda's eye and proudly held up the hand-knitted Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer jumper which his mother had apparently knitted for him. "Why, don't tell me you made Miranda one too?"

_No!_

Miranda swallowed hard, trying hard to thrust the image of the ugly tasteless sweater from her mind as she tore open her present and an identical jumper came tumbling out.

_Oh God no; it was hideous._

"Why, I think she's lost for words." John snaked an arm around her waist, his body shaking with suppressed laughter as he took in her horrified expression. "Aren't they lovely, Miri? Matching sweaters! You know what? We should wear them right now!"

Miranda glowered up at him, her eyes promising that he was going to pay for this later even as she smiled sweetly and let the wrapping paper fall from her hand to the floor.

"Of course," she purred, smoothly pulling the horrible garment over her head with a barely repressed shudder. "It's so … _festive_."

"Yes, you both look lovely!" Hannah smiled happily as she opened her own present and gushed pleasantly when she saw her vase.

Miranda punched John in the arm as his mother looked away and he pulled a face at her, poking fun at her discomfort. She rolled her eyes, straightened her jumper and fluffed her hair, determined not to be put off by his antics. After all, she was Miranda Lawson and could look good no matter what she was wearing!

Hannah moved off to the kitchen in search of eggnog and Miranda laughed quietly as John caught her up in his arms.

"See? I told you my mother was festive." He smirked. "And she even gave you a Shepard-Ugly-Sweater – you've been accepted into the clan."

His arms tightened around her and Miranda gave into the temptation to close the distance between them in a kiss. She let her hands wander down his down chest, along the firm hard packed muscles of his stomach until she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his pants and broke the kiss with a grin.

"You realise," she said as she tugged him towards the kitchen. "That you're going to pay for this reindeer sweater later, right?"

John smirked. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

Miranda laughed, ugly sweater or not it was going to be a very Merry Christmas indeed.


End file.
